Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-02-17

But the speaker was not to be Disconnected
off there is an answer" he began.
There amt any" replied the first speaker
quietly.
"Why!"
"Because the man ez sent the message is
dead"
"But it's signed by you two"
sony x witnesses-eh!" appealed the first
speaker to his comrade
"On'y ez witnesses" responded the other
The operator shrugged his shoulders. The
business concluded, the first speaker slightly
relaxed. He nodded to the operator. and
turned to the bar room with pleasing social
impulse. When their glasses were set down
empty the first speaker, with a cheerful con.
demnation of the hard times and the weather,
apparently dismissed all previous proceedings
from his mind, and lounged out with his COM
panion. At the corner of the street they
stopped.
"Well, that jobs DONE" said the first
speaker, by way of relieving the slight social
embarrassment of parting
"Thets so,' responded his companion, and
shook bis hand.
They parted A gust of wind swept
through the pines, and struck faint, Eolian
cry from the wires above their heads; and
the rain and the darkness again slowly settled
upon Cottonwood.
The message Jagged little at San Fran
cisco, laid over half an hour at Chicago, and
fought longitude the whole way; SO that it
was past midnight when the "all night" oper-
ator took it from the wires at Boston. But
it was freighted with mandate from the
San Francisco office; and a messenger was
procured, who sped with it through dark
snow bound streets, between the high walls
of close e-shuttered rayless houses, to certain
formal square, ghostly with snow covered
statues Here he ascended the broad steps of
a reserved and solid looking mansion, and
pulleu a bronze bell knob, that somewhere
within those chaste recesses, after an apparent
reflective pause, coldly communicated the
fact that stranger was waiting without-as
he ought. Despite the lateness of the hour,
there was slight glow from the windows,
clearly rot enough to warm the messenger
with indications of a festivity within, but
yet bespeaking, as it were, some prolonged
though subdued excitement. The sober SER
want who took the dispatch, and receipted
for it as gravely as if witnessing last will
and testament, respectfully paused before
the entrance Of the drawing room. The
sound of measured and rhetorical speech,
through which the occasional catarrhal
cough Of the New England coast struggled,
as the only effect of nature not wholly re-
pressed, came from its heavily y-curtained re-
cesses; for the occasion of the evening had
been the reception and entertainment of
various distinguished persons, and, as had
been epigrammatically expressed by one of
the guests, "the history of the country" was
taking its leave in phrases more or less men,
orable and characteristic. Some of these
valedictory axioms were clever, some witty,
a few profound, but always left as a genteel
contribution to the entertainer. Some had
been already prepared, and, like card, had
served and identified the guest at other man.
sions.
The last guest departed, the last carriage
rolled away, when the servant ventured to
indicate the existence of the dispatch to his
master, who was standing on the hearth rug
in an attitude of wearied self-righteousness.
He took it, opened it, read it, re-read it, and
said:
There must be some mistake! 1t is not
for me. Call the boy, Waters"
Waters who was perfectly aware that the
boy had left, nevertheless obediently walked
toward the hall door, but was recalled by his
master.
"No matter-at PRESENT."
@Its nothing serious, William" asked Mrs.
with languid wifely concern.
mo, nothing. Is there a light in my |
tudy?"
"Yes But before you 60, can you give
ne moment or two?"
Mr. Rightbody turned little impatiently |
oward his WIFE She had thrown herself |
anguidly on the sofa; her hair was slightly |
and part of slippered foot |
vas visible. She might have been finely |
ormed woman; but even her careless desha-
,ille left the general impression that she was
everely flanneled throughout, and that any /
,stentation of womanly charm was under
,igorous sanitary surveillance.
Mrs. Marvin told me tonight that her son
made no secret of his serious attachment for
'ur Alice, and that, if 1 was satisfied, Mr..
darvin would be glad to confer with you at
nca."
The information did not seem to absorb
dr. Rightbody's wandering attention, but
ather increased his impatience. He said
astily that he would speak of that to-mor-
ow, and partly by way of reprisal, and partly
0 dismiss the subject, added:
positively James must pay some attention
o the register and the thermometer. 1t was
ver 20 degs. tonight, and the yentilating
raft was closed in the drawing room"
THAT was because Professor Ammon sat
ear it, and the old gentleman's tonsils are SO
ensitive"
"He ought to know from DR.. Dyer Doit
hat systematic and regular exposure to
raughts stimulates the mucous membrane;
While fixed air over sixty degrees invari-
bly,"
al am afraid, William" interrupted Mrs.
,ightbody with feminine adroitness, adopt
ne her husbands topic with view of there
y directing him from it; I'm afraid that
eople do not yet appreciate the substitution
bouillon for punch and ices. observed
hat Mr.. Spondee declined it, and, fancied,
,oked disappointed. The fbrine and wheat
4 liqueur glasses passed quite unnoticed.
DO"
"And vet each half drachm contained the
alf-digested substance of pound OF beef.
IN surprised at Spondee" continued Mr..
,ightbody, aggrievedly "Exhausting his